Chair



Sept. 3, 1963 B. B. JUNKUNC CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1, 1962 INVENTR. V

1% @7b/nego Sept- 3, 1963 B. B. JUNKUNC 3,102,754

CHAIR Filed March l, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV ENTOR.

5??, fa .jmzzmc My@ Sept. 3, 1963 B. B. JUNKUNC CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 1, 1962 32 INVENTOR.

BY MM M@ @Wmeg United States Patent Office 3,192,754 CHAR Bela B. Junlrunc, 9505 S. Prairie Ave., Chicago, Ill. Filed Mar. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 176,687 4 Claims. (Cl. 297-l62) The present invention relates to seating and particularly to seating wherein the seating devices, such as chairs or the individual seats of multiple seating assemblies, have individual, retractable, folding tablet arms.

There is described in my Patent No. 2,954,073, issued September 1960, and entitled: Folding Tablet Arm Chair, `a folding chair in which the tablet arm of the folding chair is so coordinated therewith that the chair may be folded while the arm is in a raised or lowered position, so that the arm may be raised or lowered while the chair is in an open position and so that the arm will be raised or lowered simultaneously with operation of the chair when the chair is opened or folded.

Embodiments of the present invention incorporate structural arrangements whereby various of the features and advantages of a folding tablet arm chair are incorporated in rigid leg or non-folding chairs as Well as other seating assemblies wherein the seating assembly remains intact `and open for seating `availability independently of the raised or lowered position of the arm.

It is recognized that there is known in the art the type of lchair known las an opera chair wherein the arm rest may be moved between a raised and a lowered position. These devices did not include structure which was effective to properly support a tablet arm such as an arm of the type on which a person would write. A tablet arm utilized for writing table purposes should be rigidly and rmly supported to provide a solid tablelike structure with la minimum of sway, flexibility or vibration when utilized by a person writing on the arm.

In accordance with the invention, the tablet arm is universally and slideable pivot and link arrangement at its forward end with the hinge and pivot mechanism connected to the structural supporting arrangement for the chair or other seating device in such a manner as to firmly and rigidly support the front end of the arm and devised, 1n accordance with this invention, versal manipulation of the arm for convenient disposition of the arm either in a raised position of use or in a lowered, out-ofuse position without interference with the seating assembly, whether the seating assembly is an individual chair or a `multiple chair or multiple seating Moreover, the supporting joint construc- FIGURE l is a front elevational view of a multiple 3,102,754 Patented Sept. 3, 1963 seating assembly forming an embodiment of the invention;

FiG. 2 is a sectional View of the embodiment of FIG. l taken substantially along the line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a reduced perspective view of the seating support frame for the multiple seating assembly of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of an individual chair embodying this invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmental view of the chair of FIG. 4, but showing the arm thereof in a raised position for use;

iG. 6 is a broken fragmcntal view of the chair of FIGS. 4 and 5 viewed from the rear with the tablet arm raised;

FIG. 7 is a broken bottom plan view of the chair of FIGS. 4-6, with the `arm in a raised position;

FIG. 8 isa broken fragmental illustration of the seat yand front supporting linkage for the arm showing the arm in a pivoted position preparatory to either locking the same in a raised position or lowering the same;

FiG. 9 is a broken, enlarged fragmental view of the rear pivot assembly; and

FiG. lil is `a fragmental sectional view of the rear pivot assembly taken substantially along the line 10%19 of FIG. 9.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 is a vmultiple seating arrangement wherein a `plurality of chairlike constructions l, 2 and 3 are mounted and supported on a single leg or support structure 4. This larrangement is of the type commonly used in `auditorium and classroom facilities wherein it is desired to keep the chairs or seating devices for a large group of people in organizational assembly and yet have the seating devices be of sutliciently small construction to permit convenient handling thereof for storage convenience. The assembly construction shown in' FIG. l, however, is such as to permit the utilization and to facilitate the assembly of folding tab-let arm chairs with each individual seating device in the seating assembly.

In the embodiment shown, the leg assembly 4 includes a pair of end legs 5 and 6 of substantially inverted U- shaped configuration wherein the ends 7 and 8 of the legs of each of these members form the feet therefor. The rearwardly disposed legs 9 of each of the inverted U- shaped leg members arc tied together by transversely eX- tending spacer` and support bars 10 which are rigidly secured thereto by such means as welding. A similar spacer bar l2 is secured to the front legs adjacent to the lower end thereof. The embodiment shown in the drawing has a pair of rear tranverse spacer and support bars, but it should be appreciated that any number thereof may be employed.

The spacer bars should satisfy two primary functions: first, they should effectively space the leg members 5 members 11 of the individual seating devices.

In the arrangement of FIGS. l, 2 and 3, the leg mem bers 5 `and 6, as well as the transverse spacers and support bars 11 are shown as constructed by tubular metal, but any desired material of any particular configuration and style may be selected so long as the necessary strength and rigidity requirement are met.

The seat supporting members 11 are arranged in pairs and are so conllgurated as to be substantially L-shaped with a downwardly extending portion 13 secured to the rear transverse crossbars 1G and with an upper portion extending forwardly to provide for the mounting of an individual scat 14 on each pair thereof. Any desired form and shape of seat may be employed in accordance with this invention. Thus, the seats may be individual items or they may be premolded devices wherein the seat and back portions are integral with cach other. In the arrangement shown, the seats are individual and each has secured thereto an inverted V shaped back support structure 15 of tubular metal. The lower portions of the back support extend forwardly' and are secured to the underside of the seats 14. The back supports could be secured to the transverse spacer bars 10 if desired. Back rests 16 `are secured at the `apex portion of :the back supports to complete each individual seating position of the assembly.

Whether the seats are comprised of individual and separate back portions and seating portions or are integral arrangements of back portions and seating portions, and whether the back rests are secured to the seating portion or to the frame construction, is not critical to the instant invention so long as the backs or buck supports and the seats or sent supports are so arranged on the main frame as to be structurally sound for proper pivotal support and manipulation of the tablet arms mounted thereon and described in detail hercinbclow.

The chair constructions of FIGURES 4, 5, 6 and 7 are substantially thc same as the seating arrangement of FIG- URES l, 2 and 3, except that in the embodiment of FIG- URES 4 and 7, the frame constructions are such that individual seating devices are readily separable from each other and are not mounted on u common frame multiple seating arrangement such as is incorporated in the embodirnent of FIGURES l-B. The chairs of FIGURES 4-7 each have a pair of inverted substantially U-shaped legs 20 and 21. The ends of the legs `form feet 22 while the intermediate portions thereof are secured together by crossbars 23, which may be either individual or in the form of a book or hat rack, as desired.

The bight portions of the legs have secured thereon a seat member 24 which is substantially the same as the individual seats 14 of the multiple seating assembly of FIGURE l. Similarly, inverted V-shaped back rest supports 25 are contigurated such that their lowered ends extend `forwardly and are secured to the underside of the scat 24 and/or the leg members 20 in any appropriate manner to firmly support a back rest 26. The back rest is secured about the seat 24 and to the back rest support 25 adjacent to the apex thereof.

As was the case in connection with the embodiment of FIGURES l-3, it is not critical to this invention whether the back rests and seats are individual and intcgral or that the back rest supports have any particular configuration so long as the assembly is sufficiently strong and rigid to properly and effectively form a support for the pivotally mounted locking tablet arm.

The tablet arm construction and support system of this invention is embodied in substantially the same way in both the multiple seating arrangement of FIGURE l and the individual seating arrangement of FIGUURE 4. In this construction a tablet arm 27 is pivotally supported at its rearward end by a multiple pivot hinge mechanism 2S having incorporated therein a bracket 29 which eX- tends rearwardly from the main part of the hinge and then laterally to a position rearwardly of the back rest where it is secured to the back rest and/or to the baci; rest support frame 25. In the vicinity of the central portion of the enlarged tablet section of the tablet arm, there is secured thereto and to the underside thereof a universally pivotable and slideable pivot assembly 30 which is cooperatively arranged with an L-shaped, pivotally mounted support bar or link 31 having its transverse portion journaled in a pair of pivot bearings 32 secured in position at the underside of thc seat portion of the seating arrangement. In the embodiment of FIGURES l, 2 and 3 the pivot bearings are mounted on the seat support members or brackets 11 while in the individual seat arrangement of FIGURES 4-7, the bearings 32 are secured to the bight portion of the legs 20. If desired, other securing locations may be employed. Also, the bearings may be secured directly to the underside of the individual seats 14 and 24.

The tablet arm, as noted above, is movable between an upper, raised position of use as Shown at the right side of FIGURE l, in phantom lines in FIGURE 2 and in FIGURES 5 and 7, and a lowered, out-of-the-way position as shown at the central and left portions of FIGURE l, in solid lines in FIGURE 2, and in FIGURE 4. To move the tablet arm from the upper, raised position of use wherein the arm is substantially horizontal to a lowered, out-of-the-way position wherein the arm is in a vertical plane, the arm must be moved lirst into the vertical plane to the position shown in FIGURE 8 and then downwardly to the position shown in FIG- URES 2 and 4. This requires multiple pivotal movement of the arm and multiple pivotal operation of both the front and rear supports for the arm.

The rear pivot mechanism 28 is operable to perform these functions at its end of the tablet arm by virtue of the following structural characteristics and arrangements thereof. To perform the multiple pivot functions, the rear pivot `mechanism 28 includes a hinge section bracket 33 which is secured to the underside of the tablet arm at the rear end of the arrn. The hinge section 33 has a pair of pivot bolt receiving eyes 34 aligned with each other and with the axis thereof extending longitudinally of the arm between the center of the front pivot mechanism 30. A pivot bolt 35 secured in the eyes 34 carries a second hinge section 36 disposed thereon in such a manner that the hinge sections 33 and 36 are pivotally movable with respect to each other in plane movement transversely of the tablet arm.

The hinge section 36 forms a part of the main body of the pivot mechanism 28. This section is formed of a a folded plate, folded about the hinge pin 35 or a pair of hinge section plates so that it has annular sections 37 and 38 disposed on opposite sides of the pivot section 39 of the rearward support bracket 29. That end of the bracket 29 also has an annular configuration and is longitudinally split or formed of a pair of pivot bracket plates.

The main pivot pin 4t) in the form of a rivet, extends through the axial centers of the annular portions 37, 38 and 39 and holds the same together in planar interfacial relation. The split end or double plate end 39 of the bracket 29 bears resiliently against the inner faces of the pivot plates 27 and 28 to provide frictional resistance of a limited value against movement of plates 37 and 38 with the arm 27 about the pivot rivet 40.

This construction thus permits the arm to pivot from a horizontal position to a vertical position about the axis of the hinge pin 35 and movement of the arm 27 in a vertical plane about the axis of the rivet 40, all the while having the rearward end of the arm supported by the bracket 29. Movement in the vertical plane for the arm 27 is limited by the incorporation of stop means in the pivot mechanism 28. This includes a stop pin or rivet 41 extending through a pair of apertures in the plates 37 and 38 of the hinge bracket and through an aligned pair of limited arc, arcuate slots 42, best seen in FIGURES 9 and 1G. When the arm is in its upper position, the pin 41, will abut the upper limit of the slots 42, as shown in FIGURE 9. When the arm is in its limited position as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, the pin 41 will abut the lower limit of the slots 42 in the pivot end 39 of the bracket 29.

As noted above, the front end or enlarged tablet section of the tablet arm is supported on a front universal pivot and sliding assembly 30 cooperatively arranged with a support bar and link 31. The multiple pivot and slide assembly 30 includes a pivoted sleeve 43 slideably, coaxially assembled on the bar 31 in such a manner as to be movable from the outer end thereof to the junction of the outer portion of the bar with the transversely extending support portion thereof. At its outermost end, the support bar 31 carries a looking stop pin 44 which cooperates with a J-shaped slot 45 in the sleeve 43 to provide a positive stop on the bar thereby preventing the sleeve from being removed from the bar in the event of overly strenuous raising of the arm.

The stop pin and slot arrangement at the front of the arm cooperates with the stop mechanism in the rear pivot arrangement for the arm to insure positive stopping of the arm in its proper raised position. The stop pin 44 also serves as a locking pin when cooperatively disposed in the slot 45 of the sleeve 43` When the arm is in a raised position, but still on a vertical plane as shown in FIGURE `8, the pin is disposed at the bottom of the long arm of the J-shaped slot. Rotation of the tablet arm from a vertical plane to a horizontal plane, while the arm is in a raised position, is effective to rotate the sleeve 43 so that @it moves about the bar 31 to a position where the pin 44 is locked in the short arm or end of the curved section of the J-shaped slot. The slot is so -coniigurated that when the arm is moved to its horizontal plane position as shown in FIGURE S, the front end may be lowered slowly so that the sleeve will rest down upon the pin 44 with the pin locked in the upper reach of the short leg or curved section of the slot, thereby positively locking the arm against any movement other than vertically upwardly. Thus, the arm cannot be accidentally tilted or lowered. Raising or lowering of the arm requires that the arm be lifted until the pin 44 reaches the bottommost portion of the slot to unlock the sleeve from the pin.

For manipulation of the sleeve in the manner described above, the sleeve is pivotally mounted in a U-shaped or bifurcated pivot bracket 46 by pins 47 which pivotaliy connect the ends of the arms of the bracket 46 to the sleeve at such a position on the sleeve that the upper end thereof does not engage or otherwise interfere with the bight portion of the bracket. At its bight portion, the bracket 46 is pivotally connected to a mounting plate 48 that is solidly secured to the underside of the tablet arm substantially centrally of the tablet portion thereof.

This multiple pivot arrangement permits the necessary complex movement in the relationship between support bar 31 and the tablet arm 27. The complexity of the relationship may be best appreciated by understanding the relative movements of the parts when the arm is bcing raised or lowered. When the arm is in a fully raised position as shown in FIGURE 5, the arm is horizontal and the pin 44 in the stop bar is locked in the slot in the sleeve thereby supporting the sleeve and supporting the arm through the pivots 47, the pivot bracket 46 and the mounting plate 48. At the same time, the rear end of the :arm is supported by the cooperative arrangement of the back support bracket 29, the pivot mechanism Z8 and the longitudinal hinge formed in the mounting bracket 33 cooperatively assembled with the pivot mechanism 28.

To lower the arm, the arm is first raised to free the pin 44 from its locking position in the slot 4S. This raising movement is limited by the depth of the slot 45 and the arcuate length of the slots 42 in the rear support 29. With the sleeve unlocked, the arm 27 may be pivoted about the longitudinal axis of the hinge 34. This rotational movement of the arm causes the pivot bracket 46 to rotate about its pivot mounting on the support plate and causes the sleeve 43 to rotate about the axis of the support bar 31 until a vertical position for the arm 27 is reached. At that position of the arm the pin 44 is deposited on the bottom of the long `arm of the J-shapcd slot in the sleeve thereby permitting downward movement of the arm. As tbe arm is moved down, the sleeve slides along the support bar 3l toward the transverse portion of the support bar. Continued movement of the arm to positions wherein the arm 31 pivoting about the transverse portion thereof passes a parallel relation with the line between the axis of the re-pivoted 28 and the axis of the journal bearings 32, results in movement of the sleeve outwardly between the very end ot the support bar 31 until the arm is fully lowered as shown in FIG- URE 4. At that position of the arm, the stop pin 41 rests at the lower stop extremity of the arcuate stop slot 42. This stop position of the arm is so located that the arm is fully out of interference with the user of the seating facility.

While much of the foregoing discussion has been with reference to drawings pertaining to the arm as the same may be moved in cooperative assembly with an individual seating device having its own legs, it should be clearly understood that the mechanism of the arm mounting and pivoting and positioning is identical to that described in the multiple seating assemblies of FGURES l-3 and that all of the features and advantages are equally present and available in multiple seating assemblies for each individual seating facility in such assemblies.

I claim:

l. In combination in a seating device, a plurality of leg members, means rigidly supporting said leg members in spaced relation to each other and arranged with said leg members disposed to `be operative as legs for the seating device, seat means and back rest means supported by said leg members for seating, a combination hinge and pivot structure, a support bracket secured to said back rest means `and integrally secured in said combination hinge and pivot structure, a tablet arm secured to said combination hinge and pivot structure adjacent to one end of said arm, a pivoted support bar journaled to said supporting means and said seat means at the underside thereof, a universal pivot and slide structure slideably arranged on said support bar and secured to said tablet arm adjacent to the opposite end thereof, said combination hinge and pivot structure having a hinge axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tablet arm for pivotal movement of said arm about said axis, and having a `pivot axis substantially perpendicular to said direction for substantially vertical movement of said tablet arm, and stop means in said combination hinge and pivot structure to limit vertical movement of said tablet arm, at least in a downward direction.

2. In combination in a multiple seating device, a piurality of leg members, means rigidly supporting said leg members in spaced relation to each other and arranged with said leg members disposed to `be operative as legs for the seating device, a plurality of seat means and back rest means supported by said leg members for seating, a combination hinge and pivot structure for each seat means and back rest means, a support bracket secured to each back rest means and integrally secured in one of said combination hinge and pivot structure respectively, a tablet arm secured to each of said :combination hinge and pivot structures adjacent to one end of said arm, a pivoted support bar journaled to said supporting means and said seat means at the underside thereof, for each of said tabiet arms respectively, and a universal pivot and slide structure slideably arranged on each of said support bars land secured to each of said tablet arms adjacent to the opposite ends thereof.

3. In combination in a multiple Seating device, a plurality of front and rear leg members for the seating device, means rigidly supporting said leg members in spaced relation to each other, said supporting means being so arranged with respect to said leg members that the lateral space between the `front legs is substantially fully open, a plurality of seat means and back rest means supported by said leg members for seating with substantially open spaces between the seat moans to accommodate a tablet arm between adjacent seat means, a tablet arm for each seating device, means for securing the tablet arm to its respective seating device including a combination hinge and pivot structure adjacent one end of said arm, a support bracket secured to said back rest means and integrally secured in said combination hinge and pivot structure, a pivot support bar journaled in means secured to said seat means at the underside of said seat means, and a universal pivot and slide structure slidably `arranged on said support bar and secured to said tablet arm adjacent to the opposite end of said tablet arm.

4. In combination in a multiple seating device, a plurality of front and rear leg members for the seating device, means rigidly supporting said leg members in spaced relation to each other, said supporting means being so arranged with respect to said leg members that the lateral space between the front legs is substantially fully ope-n, a plurality of seat means and back `rest means supported by said leg members `for seating with substantially open spaces between the seat means to accommodate a. tablet arm between adjacent scat means, a tablet arm for` each seating device, means for securing the tablet arm to its respective seating device including a combination hinge and pivot structure adjacent one end of said arm, a support bracket secured to said back rest means and integrally secured in said combination and pivot structure, a pivot support bar journaled in means secured to Said seat means at the underside of said seat means, and a universal pivot and slide structure slidably arranged on said support bar and secured to said tablet arm adjacent to the opposite end of said tablet arm, said combination hinge and pivot structure having a hinge axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tablet arm for pivotal movement of said arm about said axis, and having a pivot axis substantially perpendicular to said direction for substantially vertical movement of said tablet References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,351,995 Cornish Sept. 7, 1920 2,954,073 Iunlrunc Sept. 27, 1960 2,965,155 Henriksen et al. Dec. 20, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 856,890 Great Britain Dec. 21. 1960 

1. IN COMBINATION IN A SEATING DEVICE, A PLURALITY OF LEG MEMBERS, MEANS RIGIDLY SUPPORTING SAID LEG MEMBERS IN SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND ARRANGED WITH SAID LEG MEMBERS DISPOSED TO BE OPERATIVE AS LEGS FOR THE SEATING DEVICE, SEAT MEANS AND BACK REST MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID LEG MEMBERS FOR SEATING, A COMBINATION HINGE AND PIVOT STRUCTURE, A SUPPORT BRACKET SECURED TO SAID BACK REST MEANS AND INTEGRALLY SECURED IN SAID COMBINATION HINGE AND PIVOT STRUCTURE, A TABLET ARM SECURED TO SAID COMBINATION HINGE AND PIVOT STRUCTURE ADJACENT TO ONE END OF SAID ARM, A PIVOTED STRUCTURE BAR JOURNALED TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND SAID SEAT MEANS AT THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF, A UNIVERSAL PIVOT AND SLIDE STRUCTURE SLIDEABLY ARRANGED ON SAID SUPPORT BAR AND SECURED TO SAID TABLET ARM ADJACENT TO THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF, SAID COMBINATION HINGE AND PIVOT STRUCTURE HAVING A HINGE AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE TABLET ARM FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ARM ABOUT SAID AXIS, AND HAVING A PIVOT AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID DIRECTION FOR SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID TABLET ARM, AND STOP MEANS IN SAID COMBINATION HINGE AND PIVOT STRUCTURE TO LIMIT VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID TABLET ARM, AT LEAST IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION. 